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Flagstaff Aurora

Aurora Borealis visible over the San Francisco Peaks and Flagstaff Arizona on October 10, 2024

A rare "severe" solar storm on October 10 made for visible aurora borealis much farther south than usual. I was in Flagstaff, Arizona, and raced outside to catch this image just (more)

The Dragon-Gould Loop

The Dragon-Gould Loop

I love traversing Sierra ridges, and I particularly love creating loops, so a Dragon Peak-Mount Gould linkup sounded particularly appealing, with one caveat: some parties rate the (more)

White Mountain Avec Bike

White Mountain Peak, California

I occasionally do things because they seem like they ought to be done, and this adventure certainly fits that category: biking to the top of White Mountain Peak, California, (more)

Around the Peaks

The San Francisco Peaks - West Face

I don't tend to think of Northern Arizona's San Francisco Peaks as a large mountain, but I can tell you they seem to get quite a bit bigger when you try to bicycle all the way (more)

Kearsarge Revisited

Ascending Kearsarge Peak's Summit Ridge

I first climbed 12,598' Kearsarge Peak via Lily Pass in 2014, and, as is often the case, my famously-bad memory recorded it as one of the easier of the eastern Sierra's big-peak (more)

Mount Gleason

Mount Gleason, in the San Gabriel Mountains

I may have inwardly cringed a bit during my San Gabriel traverse last year when I claimed you could spend your whole life exploring the San Gabriel Mountains. Really? I asked (more)

San Jacinto Aerial

San Jacinto Peak - Aerial View

Here's a still-snowy San Gorgonio Mountain photobombing a mostly-dry San Jacinto Peak, as seen Wednesday on the way from LAX to Phoenix, Arizona. This shot really gives a good (more)

Throop Peak – North Gully

Matthew Testa skiing Throop Peak's north gully

Believe it or not this is the first time I've skied Throop Peak from its 9142' summit; I've come close previously, but always ascended/descended the big northwest face over Lily (more)

Sunday at Mount Baldy

Sunday at Mount Baldy

I am a spring skier at heart; give me t-shirts and slush over winter's cold brittle snowpacks anytime. And how about adding in a crew of good friends and family plus some SoCal (more)

The Baldy Crest

Mount Baldy's north face from Throop Peak

Here's the Baldy skyline from just off the summit of Throop Peak yesterday. There is still a heck of a lot of good snow on the north and west faces—if you're willing to (more)

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About SierraDescents

When there is snow, SierraDescents is Andy Lewicky's California backcountry skiing and mountaineering website. Without snow, sierradescents becomes an ill-tempered hiking and climbing blog.

Pray for snow.